The present invention relates to high pressure quick connectors employed in fluid conduit systems, such as vehicle brake lines.
Snap fit or quick connectors have been found to be useful in a wide range of applications. In particular, quick connectors are frequently employed for joining fluid carrying conduits in automotive and industrial applications. Such connectors have found general acceptance as they are typically capable of being closed in a single uni-axial movement which facilitates automated assembly, and entail simple designs which are relatively inexpensive to produce.
A further advantage of quick connectors is that they provide an effective seal for handling volatile or hazardous fluids, such as gasoline, while permitting ease of disassembly and reassembly during repair of a host system.
In applications where hazardous material is to flow through a connector, for example, in vehicle brake lines, prevention of inadvertent release of the quick connector is of primary concern. Accordingly, relatively high axial pull apart strength specifications are mandated. In addition, low insertion forces are required.
Currently, for many high pressure applications, such as with brake lines, threaded fittings are used as the connection means. If not aligned correctly, cross threaded may result. If excessive torque is applied, over threading may result.
As a result of cross-threading or overthreading, the threads are stripped and the connector must be scrapped and replaced.
In current anti-lock brake systems, the brake lines are connected to a brake manifold or junction during the assembly process of the vehicle. The threaded connections of the prior art are located close together which increases assembly time and labor as well as the potential for error.
Various attempts have been made to overcome the problems associated with quick connectors employing threaded connections for high pressure applications. Such connectors typically include a male fitting body which is connected on the end of an elongated tube or conduit. The male fitting body has an annular recess for receiving a retainer movable between a compressed position allowing longitudinal insertion of the male fitting body within a corresponding bore in a female component housing and a released position for retaining the male fitting body seated within the bore. A locking member maintains the retainer in the released position in response to seating of the male fitting body within the corresponding female component housing. A pop top releasably engages the male fitting body to hold the retainer in the compressed position until the male fitting body is seated within the bore in the female component housing.
It is desirable for the present invention to provide a quick connector for high pressure fluid applications, particularly for vehicle brake systems, which facilitates assembly and disassembly of the quick connector in a manner which does not require the use of tools. It would also be desirable to provide such a quick connector that provides high axial pull apart strength and low insertion forces. It would also be desirable to provide a quick connector which eliminates threaded connections to reduce scrap as a result of frequent cross-threading or over-threading. It would also be desirable to provide a high pressure quick connector which has a compact design so that multiple quick connectors can be easily installed in a single fluid manifold.
The present invention is a quick connector advantageously suited for use in high pressure fluid applications. In one aspect, the quick connector includes: a male connector including a conduit having a first end and a spool or fitting fixedly connected to the first end of the conduit, a female connector or component including a body having a bore extending from a first end, a channel extending transversely to the through bore, opposed recesses formed on opposite sides of the channel, a latch having an aperture mountable over the conduit and peripheral edges of large and small dimensions allowing the latch to be inserted into the channel in a first dimensional orientation position and rotated to a second, dimensional orientation, latched position in which opposed side edges engage the recesses in the body, and a latch clip engageable with the latch to resist rotation of the latch from the second, latched position.
The latch preferably comprises at least one finger tab extending from the latch to facilitate rotation of the latch between the first and second positions. More preferably, two finger tabs extend from the latch to facilitate bi-directional rotation of the latch between the first and second positions.
The peripheral edges of the latch define a generally rectangular shape having opposed major length side edges and opposed minor length side edges.
The latch clip includes a body having a generally U-shaped outer ring, end posts upstanding from opposed ends of the outer ring, a pair of spaced arms carried interiorly on the ring and engageable with of the spool for rotatably mounting the latch clip to the spool side. The end posts on the outer ring are engageable with opposed edges of the channel in the body to resist rotation of the latch clip and the latch relative to the body.
The quick connector of the present invention optionally includes a secondary latch clip engageable with the latch clip and the latch to further resist rotation of the latch clip and the latch from the second latched position of the latch. The secondary latch clip preferably includes a body having a central opening adapted to surround the fluid conduit, and apertures formed in the body engageable with the finger tabs on the latch and the end posts on the latch clip. The body is non-rotatably seatable in the channel with the body and the apertures in the body cooperating with the finger tabs on the latch and the end posts on the latch clip to assist in resisting rotation of the latch from the second latched position.
The unique quick connector of the present invention is suitable for use in high pressure applications and utilizes a twist latching movement to secure the male component of the quick connector in the female component housing. The present quick connector has a small compact shape while still providing easy accessibility to the latch member for latching and unlatching rotation of the latch member. A latch clip is provided to prevent rotation of the latch member from the latched position which could lead to undesired separation of the male component from the female component. An optional secondary or redundant latch clip can also be provided to ensure secure latching of the male component in the female component of the quick connector.